Pharmacy medication safety bottle with pill viewer window and label verification system

ABSTRACT

Embodiments of the invention comprise an improved prescription medication bottle that has a viewing window. This “viewer window” will display one or more pills, thereby enabling the pills to be visible within the bottle to the patient and pharmacy staff. The bottle comprises an internal shelf structure which creates a viewing chamber. One or more pills will become “caught” by the shelf structure and be displayed in the viewing chamber when the pharmacist places all the pills into the vial. The viewing chamber is visible through the viewing window. The viewing window may have the capability to magnify the area in which the pill rests and thereby provide a magnified view of the pill.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to provisional U.S. Application No. 61/119,454, filed Dec. 3, 2008, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the general field of capsule, tablet and caplet containers for dispensing by individuals.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) estimated that between a staggering 44,000-98,000 patients die each year as a result of medical errors. Medication errors are among the most common medical errors, harming at least 1.5 million people every year according to the IOM report. The extra medical costs of treating drug-related injuries occurring in hospitals alone conservatively amount to $3.5 billion a year, and this estimate does not take into account lost wages and productivity or additional health care costs, the report says.

Patients seldom look at what is in the bottle when they receive a prescription from a pharmacy. They generally just assume that the bottle contains the correct medication at the correct dosage. People generally do not open the bottle to look at the contents. People typically do not have anything to which to compare the product inside their bottle. Even if the patient wanted to look at what is in the bottle, traditional pharmacy bottles have prescription labels that cover up the bottle's content.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the invention comprise an improved prescription medication bottle. The bottle comprises a pharmacy pill window viewer. This “viewer window” will actually display one or more pills, tablets, capsules, or caplets (generically referred to herein as “pills”), thereby enabling the pills to be very noticeable to the patient and pharmacy staff. The bottle comprises an internal shelf, as described in more detail below. One or more pills will become “caught” by and rest on the internal shelf when the pharmacist places all the pills into the vial. (While one or more pills may be “caught” and displayed, for simplicity of description the embodiments of the present invention will be described herein as displaying a single pill.) The area in which the pill rests is visible through the viewer window. The viewer window may have the capability to magnify the area in which the pill rests and thereby provide a magnified view of the pill.

The pharmacy label will include a realistic and accurate (e.g., photographic) image of the pill. The image of the pill enables the patient to compare the product they are receiving in the bottle to the image to ensure that the bottle contains the correct pills.

By using the pill bottle and label of embodiments of the invention, the patient will become accustomed to comparing the image and the actual pill in the viewer each and every time the patient is at the pharmacy counter. Embodiments of the present invention promote checking of the prescription before a patient leaves the pharmacy. Embodiments of the present invention also will create new opportunities for patient counseling, which is required by law. This bottle design difference will also separate retail pharmacies and likely make the retailer that implements the bottle system an industry leader.

The benefits also include safety measures behind the prescription counter, allowing the pharmacist and technicians one last quick glance to catch an error in which the wrong pills are placed in the bottle. The system will promote speed and not hinder the pharmacist's time.

In one embodiment of the invention, a container for storing and dispensing items comprises a container body and a cap. The container body defines an internal chamber for storing the items. The container body comprises a neck portion defining an opening to the internal chamber and further comprises a viewing window configured for enabling a user to view the items stored in the internal chamber. The cap is removably attachable to the neck portion.

The container may further comprise a shelf within the internal chamber adjacent to the viewing window. The shelf is configured to catch one or more items and to hold the one or more items adjacent to the viewing window for enabling the user to view the items through the viewing window. The shelf may comprise a floor portion and a wall portion, wherein the floor portion, the wall portion, and an inner surface of the viewing window together form a display chamber to catch one or more items and to hold the one or more items adjacent to the viewing window.

The container may further comprise a deflector element configured for directing at least some of the items onto the shelf as the items are placed into the container. The deflector element bifurcates the opening to the internal chamber.

The container may further comprise a shelf structure within the internal chamber adjacent to the viewing window that is configured to catch one or more items and to hold the one or more items adjacent to the viewing window for enabling the user to view the items through the viewing window. The shelf structure may comprise a floor, one or more walls, and a deflector. The floor, the one or more walls, and an inner surface of the viewing window together form a display chamber to catch one or more items and to hold the one or more items adjacent to the viewing window. The deflector is configured for directing at least some of the items into the display chamber as the items are placed into the container. The deflector may bifurcate the opening to the internal chamber. The shelf structure may be affixed to the neck portion. The shelf structure may comprise one or more tabs and the neck portion may comprise one or more slots corresponding to the one or more tabs of the shelf structure, such that the shelf structure is affixed to the neck portion by inserting the one or more tabs of the shelf structure into the corresponding one or more slots of the neck portion.

The container may further comprise a label having at least an image of the items stored in the container printed thereon, such that a user may compare the image to the items stored in the container to verify the correct items are stored in the container. The label may define an opening corresponding to the viewing window, and where the label opening aligns with the viewing window when the label is in place on the container to such that the label does not obstruct the viewing window. The image printed on the label may be adjacent the label opening.

The viewing window may comprise a magnifying window, such as a convex lens or a Fresnel lens.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

FIGS. 1-5 are, respectively, perspective, front, side, top, and bottom views of a medication safety system, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;

FIGS. 6A-B are, respectively, front and cutaway side views of the safety system of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 7-8 are, respectively, perspective and top views of the safety system of FIG. 1 with the safety screw down cap removed to show the internal shelf structure;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the safety system of FIG. 1 with the safety screw down cap and the internal shelf structure removed;

FIGS. 10-15 are, respectively, perspective, side, front, top, back, and bottom views of the internal shelf structure of the bottle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a blank label for the safety system of FIG. 1, in a folded configuration as it would be affixed to the bottle;

FIG. 17 is a front view of a printed label for the safety system of FIG. 1, in a flat configuration as it would be before being affixed to the bottle;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the label of FIG. 17 affixed to the safety system of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

The redesigned pharmacy medication bottle offers a unique and safety driven approach to consumer safety. The pill viewer window serves as a verification system that currently is not in place in known pharmacy bottle designs. Embodiments of the invention will prompt users to compare product to product based on the system described below. While embodiments of the invention are described as a bottle, the term “bottle” is intended to generically refer to a container for holding, storing, and/or dispensing items. The term “bottle” is not intended to be limiting as to the shape of the container, the size of the container, the material used to construct the container, the size and/or shape of the container opening, or the size, shape and/or type of closure used to seal the container opening.

The pill bottles of embodiments of the invention may be available in various bottle sizes (not limited to one size). The bottles may be constructed of a traditional pharmacy bottle plastic material, or may be constructed of any suitable material. For example, the pill bottles of embodiments of the invention may be constructed of a biodegradable material or may be constructed of a material that is readily recyclable. The pill bottles of embodiments of the invention will comprise a cap, such as a standard plastic “push-to-turn” safety cap, that screws and unscrews onto the pill bottle to contain/maintain all the contents of the bottle, including the pills within the shelf area.

The pill bottles of embodiments of the invention may comprise a four sided plastic bottle having a pyramidal frustum shape, as illustrated in FIG. 1, which offers more surface space to provide more necessary drug information versus a traditional medication bottle, utilizing the accompanying label system described herein. The four sided bottom allows more stability versus a traditional medication bottle. Although the invention will be described herein having a pyramidal frustum shape, alternative embodiments of the invention may have other shapes such as cylindrical or cuboid.

The pill bottles of embodiments of the invention comprise a structure (e.g., an internal molded plastic structure) that acts as a chamber or shelf to hold a pill in place. This feature will be referred to herein as a “shelf”, “shelf structure”, “catch”, or “slide”. This shelf structure may be constructed together with the bottle as a unitary structure, or may be constructed separately from the bottle and assembled with the bottle. The shelf structure will be positioned inside of the bottle to enable the pill to be positioned such that it is visible through the viewing window. The pills can be inserted easily into the bottle via the top opening, as normally done by a pharmacist. The bottle opening's split or bifurcated design (discussed in more detail below) allows for one or more pills to be directed toward (and thereby collect on) the shelf and the remainder (typically the majority of the total number of pills placed in the bottle) to collect within the internal main cavity of the bottle.

The pill or pills that collect on the shelf are thereby viewable through the window. The viewing window (which may be magnified) allows for inspection of the product (pill/tablet/capsule/etc.) inside the bottle.

Embodiments of the invention may also comprise a novel label system that will adhere to the bottle, as illustrated in FIGS. 16 and 17 and discussed in more detail below. The labels may be printed from a color printer at the pharmacy or the like. The main feature of this redesigned label system is the ability to produce an actual image of the pill that was prescribed by the consumer's physician and that the consumer should be receiving in the bottle. The image on the label will typically show high detail, including colorations and markings of the prescribed pills. The label will direct the user to compare the color image to the contents viewable through the pill viewing window. For example, the label may contain a printed (possibly preprinted) arrow that points toward the window viewer. The pill image will typically print on or near the arrow, thereby directing the user to compare the product on the label to the product in the window viewer. (Commercially available databases of all tablets and capsules pill identification sites show extreme high detail and coloration and pill markings. These types of images will be used).

Referring now to FIGS. 1-5, perspective, front, side, top, and bottom views are illustrated, respectively, of a medication safety system in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. The medication safety system 10 comprises a bottle 12, cap 14, and label (illustrated in FIGS. 16 and 17 and discussed in more detail below). The pill bottle 12 of FIG. 1 comprises a four sided plastic bottle having a pyramidal frustum shape. The bottle comprises four side walls 16 a, a top wall 16 b, and a bottom wall 16 c (seen in FIG. 5). Advantageously, the bottle 12 comprises a viewing window 18 built into one side (the side containing the viewing window will be termed the “front side” in this embodiment, although the viewing window can be incorporated into any one or more sides of the bottle). The viewing window enables one or more pills to be viewed, as discussed in more detail below.

In the illustrated embodiment, the viewing window 18 comprises an isosceles trapezoidal shaped opening defined in the front wall of the bottle with a transparent “window pane” that spans the opening. (In alternative embodiments, the viewing window may have any desired shape, such as square, rectangular, circular, oval, etc., and may be any desired size.) The window pane may (although not necessarily) have a capability to magnify the area in which the pill rests and thereby provide a magnified view of the pill. The magnification capability may be provided by any suitable magnification technique, such as using a convex lens or a Fresnel lens for the window pane, or by use of a special magnified coating on the window pane. (Both the window opening and the window pane will be collectively referred to herein as a “window”.)

FIGS. 6A-B are, respectively, front and cutaway side view of the safety system of FIG. 1 showing the orientation of the shelf structure relative to the bottle and to the viewing window. The shelf structure 20 slopes downward from the bottle top opening and toward the front side wall of the bottle. The bottom of the shelf abuts the inside of the front side wall, thereby forming a viewing area or chamber 32 into which one or more pills will sit. The bottom of the shelf abuts the inside of the front side wall just below the viewing window 18, thereby causing the viewing area 32 to be positioned adjacent to and behind (from the patient's perspective) the viewing window. This positioning of the viewing area enables the pill or pills within the viewing area to be readily viewed through the viewing window.

FIGS. 7-8 are, respectively, perspective and top view of the safety system of FIG. 1 with the safety screw cap removed to show the neck 15 of the bottle, the opening of the bottle, and the internal shelf structure 20. The top edge of the internal shelf structure sits flush with the top edge (the “rim”) of the bottle opening. The top edge of the internal shelf structure transects or bifurcates the bottle opening into two separate openings—a shelf opening 28 that directs one or more pills into the viewing area and a reduced bottle opening 22 which directs the remainder of the pills into the main cavity 17 (illustrated in FIG. 6B) of the bottle. The shelf opening 28 is typically smaller than the reduced bottle opening 22 to cause a greater number of the pills to be directed into the main cavity rather than into the viewing area. All of the pills placed into the bottle by the pharmacist will either be directed into the main cavity or into the viewing area. If a large number of pills get directed into the shelf opening 28, the pills will “pile up” and some of the pills will be above the viewing area and not visible through the viewing window. If too large a number of pills “pile up” in the viewing area, it may be necessary to remove some and place the removed pills into the main cavity.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the safety system of FIG. 1 with the safety screw cap and the internal shelf structure 20 removed. As seen in FIG. 9, the rim of the bottle comprises three notches 24. The notches receive corresponding tabs on the shelf structure, thereby enabling the shelf structure to be securely mounted to the bottle.

FIGS. 10-15 are, respectively, perspective, side, front, top, back, and bottom views of the internal shelf structure of the bottle of FIG. 1. The shelf structure 20 comprises a top front rim band 34, a back wall 36, side walls 30, and tabs 26. The top front rim band 34 and the back wall 36 form the shelf opening 28. The back wall 36, the side walls 30, and the front wall of the bottle form the viewing area/chamber 32. When the shelf structure is placed into the bottle, the tabs 26 engage with corresponding notches 24. The tabs may be permanently affixed within the notches, such as by ultrasonic or heat welding or by any suitable method. When in position, the top front rim band 34 flushly contacts a portion of the inside wall of the bottle neck and the front edges of the side walls flushly contact the inside front wall of the bottle. By securely fastening the tabs within the notches, the lower portion of the shelf will generally be held securely in place against the inside front wall of the bottle without the need to weld or otherwise permanently affix the lower portion to the bottle. This feature greatly simplifies manufacturing of the system, as any permanent affixation occurs at or near the top opening of the bottle.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the shelf structure may not be permanently affixed to the bottle. Rather, the tabs may fit snugly within the notches to enable the shelf structure to be “snapped” into place. Thus, the shelf structure may be retained securely within the bottle without the need for permanent affixation.

It should be appreciated that any suitable structure may be used to create a shelf to position one or more pills behind the viewing window.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a blank label for the safety system of FIG. 1, in a folded configuration as it would be affixed to the bottle. As seen in FIG. 16, the label 40 is sized and shaped to substantially cover three sides of the bottle, thereby providing increased surface space as compared to a traditional medication bottle. The label 40 comprises three adjoining panels—a center panel 40 b and two opposing side panels 40 a, 40 c. The label is affixed to the bottle such that the center panel 40 b is affixed to the front wall of the bottle and the two side panels 40 a, 40 c are affixed to corresponding side walls of the bottle. The center panel defines an opening 42 that is substantially the same shape as the viewing window and slightly larger in size than the viewing window. The label is mounted such that the viewing window is positioned within the opening 42. The opening 42 enables the label to be mounted on the bottle without obscuring the viewing window.

FIG. 17 is a front view of a printed label for the safety system of FIG. 1, in a flat configuration as it would be before being affixed to the bottle. The back surface of the label has an adhesive and the flat label will typically be supplied unprinted (or preprinted with information that does not vary with each specific prescription and patient, such as pharmacy name) and on a glossy substrate. The substrate will be configured to enable the blank labels to be printed using a high resolution color printer. The information to be printed on the label will typically include: patient identification (name, address, etc.), pharmacy/pharmacist identification, prescriber identification, medication name and dosage, and dosing instructions. Importantly, one or more images 44 (e.g., front and back) of the prescribed pill will be printed on the label. Typically, the images will be printed on the center panel, adjacent the opening for the viewing window, as seen in FIG. 17. The label will also typically include text and an arrow or other indicator directing the patient to compare the images to the pill in the viewing area.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the label of FIG. 17 affixed to the safety system of FIG. 1.

Embodiments of the invention provide many safety benefits. For example, embodiments of the invention will prompt the consumer to compare the product they are receiving with the actual product in the bottle. This will be another check in place for the consumer to verify that they have received the right medication. This offers a lot of advantages over the current system. This safety system is designed to protect the consumer's health and decrease a dispenser's liability. Consumers rarely know what the tablet or capsule that they have been prescribed looks like.

While embodiments of the invention are described in relation to a container for storing and dispensing medications, such as pills, capsules, tablets, and caplets, embodiments of the invention may be used to store and dispense any items for which it may be desirable to view and verify the contents of the container without opening the container.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which this invention pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. 

1. A container for storing and dispensing items, the container comprising: a container body defining an internal chamber for storing the items, the container body comprising a neck portion defining an opening to the internal chamber, the container body further comprising a viewing window configured for enabling a user to view the items stored in the internal chamber; and a cap removably attachable to the neck portion.
 2. The container of claim 1, further comprising a shelf within the internal chamber adjacent to the viewing window, the shelf configured to catch one or more items and to hold the one or more items adjacent to the viewing window for enabling the user to view the items through the viewing window.
 3. The container of claim 2, wherein the shelf comprises a floor portion and a wall portion, wherein the floor portion, the wall portion, and an inner surface of the viewing window together form a display chamber to catch one or more items and to hold the one or more items adjacent to the viewing window.
 4. The container of claim 2, further comprising: a deflector element configured for directing at least some of the items onto the shelf as the items are placed into the container.
 5. The container of claim 4, wherein the deflector element bifurcates the opening to the internal chamber.
 6. The container of claim 1, further comprising: a shelf structure within the internal chamber adjacent to the viewing window, the shelf configured to catch one or more items and to hold the one or more items adjacent to the viewing window for enabling the user to view the items through the viewing window, the shelf structure comprising: a floor; one or more walls; and a deflector; wherein the floor, the one or more walls, and an inner surface of the viewing window together form a display chamber to catch one or more items and to hold the one or more items adjacent to the viewing window, and where the deflector is configured for directing at least some of the items into the display chamber as the items are placed into the container.
 7. The container of claim 6, wherein the deflector bifurcates the opening to the internal chamber.
 8. The container of claim 6, wherein the shelf structure is affixed to the neck portion.
 9. The container of claim 8, wherein the shelf structure comprises one or more tabs, wherein the neck portion comprises one or more slots corresponding to the one or more tabs of the shelf structure, and wherein the shelf structure is affixed to the neck portion by inserting the one or more tabs of the shelf structure into the corresponding one or more slots of the neck portion.
 10. The container of claim 1, further comprising: a label having at least an image of the items stored in the container printed thereon, such that a user may compare the image to the items stored in the container to verify the correct items are stored in the container.
 11. The container of claim 10, wherein the label defines an opening corresponding to the viewing window, and where the label opening aligns with the viewing window when the label is in place on the container to such that the label does not obstruct the viewing window.
 12. The container of claim 11, wherein the image printed on the label is adjacent the label opening.
 13. The container of claim 1, wherein the viewing window comprises a magnifying window.
 14. The container of claim 13, wherein the magnifying window comprises one of a convex lens or a Fresnel lens. 